


Star of Silver, Heart of Tin

by Purple_Panic



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Fairy Tales
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-30
Updated: 2010-06-30
Packaged: 2017-11-08 12:26:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/443182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purple_Panic/pseuds/Purple_Panic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the Kaka/Saku Fairytale contest! Kakashi had never seen the pink haired nurse before that day, but the fact that she wore an eye patch just like him gave them something in common. Or at least that's what he thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! This is my entry for the lovely Caitiy's Fairy Tale contest over at the KakaSaku community. It is a Narutoverse rendition of the Steadfast Tin Soldier. I do hope you enjoy it!

A summary of the original Hans Christian Anderson tale can be found here:

The_Steadfast_Tin_Soldier

Just a note: this is slightly AU in the fact that in this story, Kakashi wasn't the teacher of Team 7 and Sakura meets him for the first time when she's much older.

XXXXX

Star of Silver, Heart of Tin- Chapter One

Clean white walls greeted him the moment he was led out of the waiting room and towards one of the many generic rooms where his physical would be held. He hated hospitals and clinics. He hated the smell of antiseptic, hated the unwelcoming sterility of such overly sanitized environments. He also hated doctors and he really, really hated physicals. He couldn't help but feel he should have showed up more than a mere fifteen minutes late.

His shoulders slumped, making his already terrible posture worse as he followed the nurse down the hall, his long, lanky strides still barely enough to keep up with her bustling steps. If Tsunade hadn't insisted he finally report for a long overdue medical examination, he would have gladly continued to avoided it for as long as humanly possible. Unfortunately, he was in ANBU. Shinobi in the elite ranks left the village far more often than others, therefore, their chances of picking up diseases from neighboring countries was greater, and their required check-ups more routine. Kakashi had already managed to get out of the last three he was supposed to have and Tsunade finally caught on. She had kindly, but firmly stated that if he ditched one more appointment, he would be assigned nothing but D-ranked missions for a month. Grudgingly, Kakashi had finally made an appointment.

The nurse showed him to one of the many identical rooms that lined the hall and motioned for him to go inside. He entered only to discover that another member of the hospital staff was already there, filling a hypodermic needle from a small glass bottle. He eyed the needle with distain. Shots were another thing he didn't like.

"Hello," she warmly, flashing him a bright smile. "Take a seat and I'll be right with you."

Kakashi did as instructed, sitting on the edge of the examination table that was covered with a long stripe of paper from a roll at one end. He immediately noticed several things about the new nurse while the one that had guided him here exited and closed the door behind her. She had short pink hair, a unique shade of strawberry that reminded him of bubble gum and flirty lipstick and cherry blossoms in the spring. She was slender, and a little on the short side but not too short. Instead of the usual medic uniform of white, she wore a red sleeveless top and black shorts with a pale pink skirt underneath that had pockets for various things she needed on the was well muscled, but still feminine, undoubtedly a kunoichi. When she turned to face him, one dazzling emerald eye fixed on him. The other was hidden beneath a simple black eye patch. Even so, she was a beautiful woman.

Kakashi's breath caught in his chest at the discovery. One of his own eyes was covered with the headband that bared the metal plate with Konoha's mark, his original eye long ago lost and replaced with an orb a little more sinister. Although he still had sight in both eyes, the new red and black orb sometimes ached and gave him headaches so painful he sometimes wished he didn't have an eye on that side at all. He immediately felt a sort of kinship with this woman, although he didn't know her at all. While she probably did not have a Sharingan eye, an eye that was both a formidable weapon and a burden to Kakashi once he had unnaturally acquired it, she still had the sight of only one eye, a severe handy cap for someone in the shinobi profession. Perhaps that was why she was currently working here in the clinic and not out in the field.

Finished with the needle, she placed it on a metal tray and moved to stand in front of him, his chart in her hand as she thumbed through it slowly. Kakashi watched her single green eye track over the lines of text.

"Its been a while since you paid us a visit," she said knowingly, giving him another megawatt smile as she set the clipboard aside and took his right wrist in her hand, palm softly glowing green as she checked his blood pressure and pulse with medicinal chakra.

"Hospitals aren't my ideal place to spend a lot of time," Kakashi confessed as he felt the cool tingle of her chakra seeping through his skin and into his body.

"Well I doubt its anybody's favorite hang out," she replied. "But that doesn't excuse you from neglecting your appointments. Your chart says you're nearly a year overdue."

In their close proximity, Kakashi could detect a faint floral fragrance that drifted above the heavy smell of rubbing alcohol. Unable to resist some playful banter, his mouth quirked into a smile beneath the fabric mask he kept tugged up to the bridge of his nose. "Oh? And what else does my chart say about me?"

The pink haired beauty released his wrist and jotted a few notes in his file and spoke without looking up from her task. "It says you're one of ANBU's elite, although when not on the job you seem to be particularly lazy not to mention you have been late to every appointment you've ever had with us. You never remove your mask unless you absolutely have to and few have actually seen your face. You have sustained a great many injuries while on missions, but most you don't bother to get treated unless they're life threatening. You possess the Sharingan though you are not an Uchiha, a result of another mission related injury, and you have reported pain in this eye on several occasions. Your visits apart from getting patched up from missions are few and far between, but whenever you are here and are treated by a pretty female nurse, you tend to give her trouble."

Kakashi couldn't help a chuckle at the last part, amused that a nurse at some point had actually written something like that into his file.

"Regretting coming to work today?" he asked with a smile, although she couldn't see it beneath his mask.

"Hardly," she said, replacing his chart on the counter and picking up the syringe she had filled earlier. "Besides, if you make trouble for me, I'll make trouble for you. This shot can either hurt a little or a lot. Your choice."

Kakashi decided he liked this girl's spunk. She was confident and friendly, but could certainly hold her own against troublesome patients. "I'll behave," he promised as she tied a piece of rubber tubing around his bicep and tapped the crook of his elbow, looking for a vein. While her attention was diverted to his arm, Kakashi took the time to study her more closely. Her skin was fair and the bridge of her nose dusted with a sprinkling of tiny freckles. Her ears were pierced although she wore no earrings today. The only piece of jewelry she wore was a thin silver chain at her throat from which dangled a small, star-shaped spangle.

He felt the needle pierce his skin, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as injections he'd received in the past. She was quick and efficient and the shot was over before he knew it, a bright pink adhesive bandage the same color as her hair placed over the wound.

"You already know so much about me," he joked as she disposed of the needle and once more filled out information in his chart. "It seems a little unfair that I know so little about you."

She paused in her writing to glance up at him, smiling as she spoke. "Sorry, you'd have to be a doctor to see my medical chart."

Kakashi chuckled. It might be interesting to look at what sort of medical ailments the healers themselves suffered from, but what he wanted was far simpler.

"Well, I'm no doctor, but I don't have to be to ask your name."

She finished her notes and flipped his chart shut.

"Sakura. My name is Sakura."

Sakura. Kakashi couldn't think of a name that would have fit her any better.

"The doctor will be with you shortly to finish your examination. In the meantime, please remove your clothes and the headband over your eye and put on the paper gown that is on the counter."

The ANBU man sighed. These were the sort of things that encouraged him to stay far away from hospitals.

Before Kakashi could say anything else to her, the one-eyed medic left the room and closed the door behind her. Kakashi stripped off his form fitting black tank, pants and headband. He had forgone the standard white ANBU shell and gloves since he wouldn't be parting for a mission any time soon. He left his mask on. He wouldn't remove it until he had to.

Even though Sakura had already left, her refreshing floral fragrance lingered. Kakashi hoped that although they had never met before, their paths would cross again very soon.

XXXXX

Sakura couldn't help but smile as she walked down the hall to her next patient. She had heard of Kakashi Hatake. Everybody had. He was something of a celebrity in Konoha. Not only was he one of ANBU's top assassins, but he had acquired the fearsome bloodline limit of the Uchiha although not a drop of the clan's blood ran through him.

She hadn't known what to expect, but she hadn't expected someone so charming. The way he covered his face had her intrigued. Like most people, she wanted to know what was beneath the black material, although she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of letting him know she was curious.

She was a little jealous of the doctor that would be finishing Kakashi's physical. He would be seeing both his Sharingan, and probably his entire face. She couldn't help but wonder what he looked like beneath his mask.

She came to the end of the hallway, pushing through the double doors that took her from the clinic into the main body of the hospital where her next patient was waiting for her. The smile persisted on her lips as her mind continued to dwell on thoughts of the man who would undoubtedly be her most interesting patient of the day.

XXXXX

Kakashi was released from the clinic forty-five minutes later, feeling thoroughly violated after being poked and prodded in every spot imaginable. The final diagnosis was that he was perfectly healthy, and apart from the very slight deterioration of his vision in his Sharingan eye, there was absolutely nothing wrong with him. Just like Kakashi had predicted, this had all been a big waste of time.

As he walked down the hall towards the main reception desk and the exit, he looked down at the bright pink bandage on his arm and chuckled softly. Well, maybe it wasn't a complete loss. For the brief moment that young woman had treated him in that small room, he had actually been enjoying himself while at a doctor's appointment. That was definitely a first for Kakashi.

He was intrigued by her. She was clearly intelligent, not stuffy boring or clinical. She was strong in both manner and body, not letting herself get exasperated by his antics but rising to the challenge of making sure he was a cooperative patient. She moved with both the grace and confidence inherent in shinobi, but on top of that, she was absolutely beautiful.

While many might have been put off by her eye patch, Kakashi found it to be the most interesting thing about her. He liked that they had something in common, a common struggle that they both seemed to have overcome. He wondered how she had lost the eye, or if it was even missing at all and had an eye beneath the patch that was altered or damaged in some other way.

Kakashi had none of the answers for any of his questions and that simply would not do.

When he reached the reception desk, he asked the woman there for a piece of paper and scribbled something with the pen patients used to check in. He folding the paper in half and then half again before writing the intended recipient's name on the front.

"Would you please give this to Sakura?" he asked, offering the paper back to the receptionist.

"Sakura Haruno?" the pretty brunette asked taking the note from him.

"How many Sakuras work here?" he asked, curious if his nurse shared her name with another.

The woman's cheeks flushed as she replied, "Just one."

"Well," Kakashi said, his tone playful and teasing. "I suppose that note is for Miss Haruno then."

The receptionist promised she'd deliver the note and Kakashi walked away, carried quickly to the door by his long legs despite his lazy gait. Now all he had to do was wait and hope Sakura would accept his offer."

XXXXX

Sakura only had one more appointment before lunch, a fact that made her practically skip down the hall. New developments had lifted her spirits, putting her in an unusually good mood. After passing by the reception desk and receiving a scrap of paper with a hastily scribbled note, her day had gone from being merely okay to great.

She came to the last door at the end of the hall, the one she always met this particular patient in, and knocked to make sure it was safe to come. When a low, masculine voice told her to enter, she did.

"Hello, Neji," she quipped merrily, giving the Hyuuga a smile as she closed the door behind her. "How are you today?"

"I am well, thank you," Neji replied, his pearly lavender eyes narrowing ever so slightly at her unusually sunny mood. "I trust you're having a good day?"

"Yes, a very good day," Sakura beamed as she pulled up the stool that rolled on wheels so she could get a better look at his right eye. "Please lay down and remain still."

About a month ago, Neji had a been on a mission with his team and had been ambushed by a group of shinobi. They had used weapons that had been thought to be simple flash bang grenades, but even after four weeks, the Hyuuga's eyes hadn't quite been the same. He had been seeing Sakura for the past couple weeks, getting several healing treatments from her as she subdued the pain while trying to discover what was wrong so she could fix it permanently.

Sakura cupped his jaw gently in one hand to hold him steady while the other rested on his right temple, the chakra filling his eye socket and gently probing the delicate eye tissue. Even though she was concentrating on her task, Neji noticed she was still smiling.

The Hyuuga had been intrigued by Sakura for some time, drawn not only by her beauty but by her strength as a kunoichi and her talents as a medic. The time would soon come where he would be made head of the Hyuuga branch family. While it still meant his main purpose would be to serve the head family and put their needs before his own, he would be expected to marry and produce healthy heirs to continue the clan.

While she didn't know it yet, Neji had already made his choice. The woman he wanted as his wife was none other than Sakura.

He had already spent a considerable amount of time with her, and more now that he was seeing her for treatment. In his conversations with her, he had found her intelligent, and her figure was both pleasing to the eye and perfect for bearing children. He had asked the elders of his clan and they had given their approval, saying she was a wise choice. Now all he had to do was convince her that it would be in her best interest to marry into the Hyuuga clan.

"So what has got you in such a good mood," he asked, eager to know what fueled her joyous emotions.

"Don't talk," she ordered sternly, although the smile was still audible in her voice. "It makes your head move and if your head moves, I might accidently damage your eye."

Neji sighed softly but refrained from talking, waiting patiently for her to answer his question.

"Well, I finally met someone who I'd been curious about for a long time, and he turned out to be really interesting in person."

"Hmm," the brown haired man replied, trying to disguise how concerned he suddenly was in the identity of this "interesting" person.

"I didn't see him very long and wanted to find out more about him. Just as I was thinking that, Hitomi over at the front desk gave me a note he had left for me, Apparently, he wants to meet me for lunch!"

Neji tensed slightly at her words. Ever since he had come for treatment from Sakura, he had made it a routine to take her out to lunch since he was usually her last appointment before her break. He scheduled them that way on purpose so he could spend more time with her, chatting with her and growing closer. It annoyed him that out of the blue another man had so easily captured her attention and stolen away the date he had been looking forward to.

"If you don't mind me asking, who is this man you're so interested in?" he asked, carefully keeping his voice flat and even and void of any note of jealousy.

"I told you to stop talking," Sakura chastised, pausing her flow of chakra so she didn't accidentally hurt him. After he had stilled, she continued to work in silence and Neji was wondering if she planned on answered his question at all. Finally, she softly said his name. "Kakashi Hatake."

This time, Neji couldn't keep his reaction in check. "Hatake?" he said incredulously. "You're getting involved with him?"

"I'm not getting involved. I'm just going to lunch," the medic said defensively. "What's so bad about him that I can't meet him for lunch?"

"Sakura, the man is no good," Neji warned. "He reads Icha Icha in public and is nothing but a lazy man lacking motivation."

This time, it was impossible for Sakura not to detect the hint of envy in the Hyuuga's tone. "He made it to ANBU, so he must have some motivation," she retorted hotly. "I'll be fine. It's just lunch so stop acting like a big brother and being so protective."

She didn't know it, but her words just angered him more, although he did not show it. Did she really think he was playing the pat of big brother? Did she not see that he was protecting her for very different reasons? She was to be his cherry blossom and no one else's, especially that eccentric Kakashi.

Neji tried to sooth his anger, telling himself it was natural for Sakura to be curious. Once she had lunch with him and found out that the mysterious man was nothing more than a letch, she would come back to him. She was too smart to fall for a womanizer like Kakashi.

That was what he kept telling himself, but as Sakura finished her examination, still in an unusually good mood, Neji couldn't help his persistent feeling of unease.

XXXXX

Kakashi waited in the restaurant he had indicated in the note to Sakura. He knew there was the chance she wasn't interested and wouldn't show, but he had a feeling she was more curious than she had let on while she was examining him. If she wasn't, then the worst thing that would happen was that he ate lunch alone.

While it was true he had a reputation for being somewhat or a letch, the rumor stemmed from more of his choice of reading material than his actions. He was a casual dater and often circulated through many woman in a short amount of time, but he always made sure that whoever he was with knew he wasn't in it for the long term. He knew Sakura was far younger than himself, but it wouldn't be the first time he had dated someone her age. He was inexplicably drawn to her and it went deeper than the fact that she too was limited to the use of just one eye. The medic wasn't the only one who had her curiosity piqued by today's doctor's appointment.

Just then, the object of his thoughts walked through the door. Though still dressed in her medic uniform, she looked beautiful as the sun caught her hair, bringing out highlights of shimmering peach and plum in the rosy strands. She star at her throat sparkled every time the light hit it just right, and her eyes seemed especially luminous. Both of them.

Kakashi couldn't help but stare as she crossed the room towards him. Her eye patch was missing and both of her emerald eyes were trained on him. Nothing appeared to be wrong with the one she had kept covered earlier.

She smiled at him as she took the sat across from him and Kakashi swore the whole room lit up with its radiance.

"Hi," she said simply, either unaware or not caring that he was staring at her stupidly.

"Hi," Kakashi replied, finally getting a hold of himself. "I'm glad you decided to join me."

"I'm glad you invited me," she said as she picked up the menu and began to look through it.

Kakashi watched her deep green orbs scan the pages. He wasn't disappointed that they didn't share a commonality. Quite the contrary. She was just as striking without the eye patch as she had been during the exam, but now he was even more curious about the pink haired kunoichi.

"Forgive me if I'm prying, but didn't you have one of your eyes covered earlier today?"

Sakura's expression turned coy as she looked up from her menu. "I did."

"But you're not wearing one now."

"I suppose I'm not."

"So you don't really need it?"

"Not at the moment."

Kakashi had to chuckle at the game she had turned this into. Her eyes sparkled mirthfully and he couldn't help but be charmed by her. "So why wear the eye patch if you don't need it? Although I admit, it made you look rather dashing."

Sakura giggled at his remark. "I don't know about dashing," she replied. "But one of my patients has been suffering from severe migraines and must be kept in almost total darkness. I keep the eye patch on so that eye becomes used to the dark . When I enter his room, I don't have to wait for my eye to adjust. I can start treating him right away and I see fine even though there's just a little light."

Kakashi nodded in understanding now that the mystery had been solved. "That's ingenious," he said. "I would have stumbled around in the dark trying to treat your patient."

"That's why I'm the medic here, not you," she laughed teasingly.

Kakashi was liking this girl more and more with every passing minute. He leaned close, his eyes suddenly taking interest in those petal pink lips. He could see her stiffen, her eyes widening, and yet she didn't move away as he leaned in closer still. Her eyes drifted shut and he could hear the rapid beating of her heart. His warm breath fanned her cheek and he knew she was holding hers. Just before their noses bumped, he reached up and pulled a small piece of white fuzz from her hair.

Sakura's eyes snapped open in surprise as he pulled away, showing her the bit of lint he had just plucked from her hair. "Must be from a cotton ball or something," he said as he flicked the offending fluff away.

"Yeah," she mumbled, suddenly quite interested in her menu.

Kakashi noticed with delight that her cheeks were suddenly the same shade as her lovely pink hair.

XXXXX

That day marked a long and uninterrupted series of lunch dates, and Sakura began to look forward to her breaks even more than she had before. Every meal was full of playful banter and interesting conversations, and the medic enjoyed herself so much that she was often late in returning to her shift.

He spoke of the books he read and why he enjoyed them, although Sakura just snickered and said he obviously read them because he was lacking female companionship. He spoke of past missions when the events weren't top secret, and she found herself a little envious of the adventures he had while being a part of ANBU. In turn, she talked about all the unusual happenings at the hospital concerning both eccentric patients and bazaar diagnoses, some of them graphic enough that even Kakashi turned a little squeamish.

Kakashi had to admit, he had never been so captivated by a woman. Despite her youth, she was incredibly mature, but never drab and boring. She even got him to do a few silly things that he was normally too reserved to do, like imitate his dog Pakkun or light the candle at their table with a small fire jutsu. He even let her braid half his head of hair while on a picnic at the training grounds. Sakura had barely been able to suppress her laughter when Kakashi found that the tiny braids didn't easily come out when he raked his fingers through his hair. He couldn't bring himself to mad when he sat at home thinking of her as he carefully combed out the braids one by one, only to discover the half she had braided was now an unruly fuzz ball, the strands standing up on end. It wasn't until after a shower that his hair finally returned to normal.

He enjoyed her company in a way he had never enjoyed another's company before. Soon, they were meeting when Sakura got off work as well, and even spent her days off together. He had yet to ask her to spend the night, which was probably the most unusual thing of all about their relationship. He found himself liking her, really liking her, and he was hesitant to introduce something physical between them that might destroy the perfect thing they had created if approached too soon. He hadn't even kissed her yet, hadn't even held hands! Yet Kakashi could say that despite all his experience with women, he had never been happier.

However, there was a person in Konoha made very unhappy by the elite shinobi and medic's blossoming relationship. Neji Hyuuga sourly observed as Sakura's moods got better and better every time he came in for an eye exam. He hadn't been able to take her out for lunch once since the day she met Kakashi, and he was quite aware that she never smiled like that after spending time with him.

Neji was usually a calm and rational individual. His levelheadedness made him a good team leader when he lead fellow Jounin on missions. But the Hyuuga was currently gripped by the cold, green fingers of jealousy and it was clouding his normally lucid mind with anger.

Everything had been going great with Sakura until Kakashi showed up. Neji had seen her regularly and he had been the cause of her smiles every once in a while. now all she ever did was talk about her dates with the ANBU man and grin like an idiot. What was worse was that Sakura had finished healing his eye, putting an end to his visits to the clinic. Without them, he didn't get to see much of Sakura at all.

At first, Neji had dismissed at as a fling. There was no way Hatake would get serious. He never got serious. Sakura was just his flavor of the week and when he tossed her aside, Neji would be there to mend her broken heart. But one week turned into two, then three, then four, and his anxiety over the fact that perhaps the silver haired man finally was serious continued to grow.

This was not acceptable. Kakashi would ruin all his plans if he swept Sakura off her feet. She was his. He had chosen her as his bride before Kakashi had ever laid eyes on her. His hope that Sakura would come to her senses and lose interest was beginning to fade. It was time that Neji take action if he wanted his woman back.

His chance came shortly thereafter when Tsunade called him for a mission briefing. It appeared a village in Fire Country's Southern province had been having trouble with bandits. A large mine where whey were able to collect metal to make tin was what kept the town alive, and the bandits had taken it over and decided to use it as their hideout. Some, if not all the bandits were rouge shinobi and going in after them would be dangerous. Ordinarily, it would be easiest to wait for the bandits to emerge, but they had started taking hostages and making demands on the villagers for food and money. Two young women had just been kidnapped and without Konoha's intervention, chances were the hostages wouldn't return alive.

Tsunade explained that Neji's Byakugan would be of great use on the mission since much of it would be in total darkness. He would be going solo with backup coming later since too many people invading the narrow mine shafts would only make the job harder. He was to move swiftly and silently and assassinate all bandits before getting the hostages out alive. If he did not emerge after twenty-four hours, backup would be sent in after him.

Neji listened to the briefing and nodded solemnly before speaking. "Hokage-sama, usually I would have no problem accepting this mission, but my eye was damaged several weeks ago while on assignment. Sakura says I should recover soon but I am reluctant to return to the field if I'm not one hundred percent healed."

It was a lie of course. Sakura had finished healing him two weeks prior, but Neji could see the piles of mission reports and hospital paperwork on her desk that she had neglected to read. Sakura's report was probably in there somewhere, but he was certain the Hokage had yet to read it.

"Ah, I remember something about that in your last mission report," Tsunade said with a nod. "Well, if you are still injured, I must agree with you that it is best that you remain here in the village until you have fully recovered."

She was about to dismiss him when he spoke again. "If I may make a suggestion, Hokage-sma, I believe Kakashi Hatake would be quite suitable for this mission. He possesses the Sharingan, and while its ability to see in the dark isn't quite as extensive as mine, it will allow him to see the enemy's movements and react to them better than even I could with my Byakugan."

The blonde woman eyed him a moment, tapping her chin thoughtfully with one slender finger from her seat behind the desk. "I hadn't considered enlisting ANBU for this mission, but now that you mention it, Kakashi might work well for this mission."

Neji dipped his head in a polite bow as he excused himself from her office, allowing himself a smirk of triumph only after he had closed the door behind him. Kakashi would only be gone a maximum of three days, but that was plenty of time to start a rumor or two that might change Sakura's opinion of the Copy nin and step up to take his place.

Neji was usually beneath such underhanded tactics, but he refused to lose his future wife to the likes of Kakashi, not when the Hyuuga knew her life would be so much better with him. Kakashi couldn't possibly plan to have a serious relationship with the medic. He wasn't the type. As far as the brown haired man could tell, Kakashi took what he wanted and moved on to the next girl. Since he hadn't abandoned Sakura yet, it was obvious she wasn't as easy as other girls he had dated in the past. That was no surprise. Neji expected nothing less from her. But he knew Kakashi could be persuasive and it tore at his heart to think that the letch might seduce her and take his prize, only to leave her cold and alone in the morning. He would not let that happen. He would make Sakura see Kakashi's true colors, and once she figured out the truth, Neji would be the obvious choice for her next relationship.

The Hyuuga made his way down the stairs and out of the Hokage tower, heading towards the hospital. Kakashi would probably be summoned before lunch and be ordered to depart right away. Sakura didn't know it, but her lunch date had just been cancelled. It was a perfect opportunity for him to spend some quality time with his sweet cherry blossom.

XXXXX

As usual, Sakura could hardly wait for lunch to arrive. Lunch meant interesting conversation, playful banter, and a lot of flirting. Not only that, but Kakashi never allowed her to pay. While whatever was between them was not yet official, Sakura was quite sure she had fallen for the silver haired man. It was true that he was lazy, read dirty books and had horrible posture, but there was something about him that was so charming, and despite rumors of his womanizing ways, she was fairly certain he had been nothing but genuine with her.

She forced herself to focus on her last appointment: the boy with persistent migraines. It had been discovered they had been caused by a small tumor pressing on a portion of his brain. Several days prior she had successfully removed it and was now just monitoring his recovery. He no longer required the room to be dark and so the eye patch that Kakashi had found so dashing was a thing of the past.

Finishing her check up, she left the room, expecting to find Kakashi waiting for her. She was quite surprised to see Neji standing there instead.

"Hello, Sakura," he said smoothly, offering her a gracious bow.

"Neji," she said, feigning a smile to cover her disappointment. "How can I help you? Is your eye still bothering you?"

"No, my eye is fine thanks to you. I was hoping you would let me thank you by taking you out to lunch."

Sakura tried to refrain from looking eagerly down the hall, expecting to see a tall, lanky man with a slouch appear any minute. "That's very kind of you," she replied. "But I'm afraid I already have plans."

"Oh?" Neji said, pretending to be surprised. "With whom?"

"With Kakashi."

"Really? That's strange. I thought I saw him getting ready to leave the village on my way over. It looked like he was going on a mission."

It was a lie of course. Neji hadn't seen Kakashi at all, but he knew by the time Sakura returned to her shift, he would probably be about to depart. He didn't want their paths to cross before then where his lie might become apparent. He planned to take her to a restaurant that wasn't near the Hokage tower, the hospital or the village gates where they might see each other.

"A mission?" Sakura replied, unable to hide her crestfallen expression. Neji couldn't help the bitterness that welled up inside him. She wasn't supposed to look like that when Kakashi left. It was the Hyuuga she should be missing. But she hadn't so much as called since their last appointment, proving that Kakashi indeed had her under his treacherous spell.

"He was probably called suddenly. I suppose it can't be helped," he replied. "But I'd be honored to have your company."

"But...he didn't even say goodbye," Sakura said sadly, still looking wistfully down the hallway even as Neji linked arms with her and began to steer her away.

"It's not surprising given his reputation and all," he remarked, seeing his chance to perhaps twist her perception of the Copy ninja a bit. "Perhaps he just lost interest and the mission allowed him a clean getaway."

Sakura indignantly jerked free of his grip, her green eyes full of anger as she stared into those of pearly lavender. "Thank you for your concern Neji, but I'd appreciate if you kept your comments about Kakashi to yourself."

A dark eyebrow rose in surprise. This wasn't supposed to happen. She shouldn't be angry. He didn't want this chance to make her his slip by. "But Sakura, I-"

"Thank you for your invitation, but I'll have to decline," Sakura spat, cutting him off before turning on her heel and stomping away, leaving Neji even more angry at the silver haired man though he wasn't even present. He refused to believe Sakura was so enraptured by Kakashi that she couldn't be won back. He wouldn't give up. He would make Sakura see that he was far more worthy of her affections than that dirty old man.

XXXXX

Kakashi's heart sank as he listened to Tsunade describe the next mission he would be taking. Though he knew his first priority was serving the village, he found himself not wanting to be away from Sakura. He had grown accustomed to seeing her face everyday, but now he would have to be apart from her for several days.

He left the Hokage's office with low spirits. He was supposed to leave immediately, but he felt an oppressive need to tell the pink haired kunoichi he would be gone. Punctuality had never been one of his strengths anyway. The extra fifteen minutes it would take to see her wouldn't matter much, especially since he would be traveling alone and didn't have a team waiting for him at the village gates.

He practically sprinted to the hospital, hoping that Sakura was still waiting for him since he had initially planned to take her to lunch. In his hurry, he bumped into a man as he went around a corner, finding himself looking into surprised lavender eyes.

"Sorry Neji, but I have to get to Sakura quick!" he apologized hurriedly, already brushing past the man he had nearly run over.

The Hyuuga's eye's narrowed slightly. He must have just been assigned to the mission and wanted to tell Sakura where he was going. Unfortunately for Kakashi, Neji had no intention of letting them meet.

"She isn't there," he said, halting the ANBU in his tracks. "I just saw her coming from there. She said something about being stood up and seemed pretty upset."

"Great," Kakashi muttered, the distress showing on his face. "Do you have any idea where she went?"

"I think she was heading towards Ichiraku," he said, even though he knew for a fact that Sakura had gone the opposite way.

"Thanks Neji," Kakashi said as he withdrew a small scrap of paper from his pocket. It was a note he had intended to give to Hitomi at the hospital's front desk if he couldn't find Sakura. "Could you give this to Sakura when you see her? It's just in case I don't find her before I leave."

"A mission?" the brown haired man asked innocently as he accepted the note from Kakashi.

"Yes, I want to make sure she knows where I'm going. Please see that she gets it."

The Hyuuga nodded. "I'll do what I can."

Kakashi called his thanks over his shoulder as he dashed off towards Ichiraku. Neji watched him go, pearly eyes turning cold as he crumpled the note into a ball and dropped it on the ground. He watched the breeze carry it a few feet before he turned and walked away.

XXXXX


	2. Chapter 2

Star of Silver, Heart of Tin- Chapter Two

Kakashi settled into the sorry excuse for a boat. It was really no more than a few pieces of wood tied together with rope. He would have little control of the craft once in the water, but it was also silent and less likely to be seen than a more conventional boat.

His heart still ached to say goodbye to Sakura. Despite Neji's advice, he had been unable to find her in the lunch crowd. He only hoped his note that he had placed in the Hyuuga's care was delivered to her swiftly.

A day's travel had brought him to his current destination and the only way to proceed was to go down the river. The tin mine he was traveling to was unique in that the entrance was inside a cave. The only way to get to it was to enter by water, navigating the narrow and dangerous channels until they emptied out deep underground where the mine shafts began. Tin was carried out a similar way downstream, but since Kakashi couldn't reverse the water's flow, he, and every other person seeking entrance to the mine, only had one route to choose from, and unlike the bandits, he didn't have the luxury of riding on safer, but undoubtedly more noticeable boat.

He pushed away from the shore with a long stick, using it to guide the raft into the stronger currents that would whisk him away to his desired destination. Immediately he was splashed by the spray, soaking through his ANBU uniform and leaving him uncomfortable and cold. He laid down on his belly, enduring the cold water that splashed his face and managed to work its way under the red and white animal mask he wore. In these turbulent waters, it was the best position to be in if he didn't want to get thrown off his raft. Tying himself to it was suicide, for if an enemy should attack, precious seconds would be wasted as he cut himself loose.

He was all alone, still several hours ahead of Kiba and Hinata who would serve as his backup. Kiba and his faithful dog possessed noses perfect for sniffing out enemies even while in the dark, and Hinata's Byakugan allowed her to see perfectly despite obstructive chunks of rock and pitch black surroundings. Kakashi sincerely hoped their presence would prove unnecessary and he would be in and out of the mine in under the allotted twenty-four hours.

The meandering river ran south, the current steadily picking up speed as the banks gradually changed from green marshes to steep slopes of jagged rock. The currents swept him past dangerous outcroppings of rock that could easily smash his raft if he hit them dead on. Soon, Kakashi could see the craggy tips of the mountain in which the mine was housed. The giant hole in its side swallowed up the river hungrily and pulled the shinobi's small vessel rapidly towards the cavernous maw.

The rocky banks grew steep and narrow, funneling the water into the ravenous darkness. Kakashi's small raft raced along with the current and into the cave. The sound of rushing water became deafening in the confined space and the sunlight was instantly devoured by the surrounding blackness. The only source of light was at his back, dwindling until it was just a speck of light before winking out of existence altogether.

In the darkness, Kakashi could see faint lights streaking by deep beneath the water. He had been told about the rare species of fish that lived within the cave, favoring the dark environment over sunlit streams. The species was known for its phosphorescent body, making it the only source of light in these dark waters. It was also a producer of a deadly toxin and Tsunade had warned him that the bandits had been seen catching the fish and possibly extracting the poison for their own use.

Kakashi activated his Sharingan from behind his animal mask. While it didn't eliminate the darkness, it improved his awareness. He could sense rocky outcroppings high above him, platforms perfect for enemies to look down on him floating by. It was a perfect place for an ambush and Kakashi would be at a severe disadvantage in his position. All he could hope for was that if he had so much trouble seeing in the dark, his opponents did as well.

Kakashi continued down the river, he couldn't tell how fast he was traveling but he knew the water was flowing swiftly. The entrance to the mine was several miles underground and he wasn't sure how long it would take him to get there, but his was tense and alert, preparing himself for whatever might come his way.

But even as his well honed skills demanded he give full attention to his surroundings, an image of a woman, pink haired and beautiful, kept popping up in his mind. He longed to see her again, to see her smiling face and hear her witty remarks. While he had been on many missions, some far more dangerous than this, he couldn't help the tiny voice in the back of his mind that warned this might be the mission he didn't return from, that he would never lay eyes on Sakura again. He angrily pushed the thought away. Now was not the time to fret over such things. If he didn't focus, something would turn up and ensure that these uneasy feelings became reality.

No sooner had he finished the thought, that something appeared. He couldn't hear them over the roar of the water, but his Sharingan allowed him to see dark shadows skittering along the ledges above, keeping up with his raft as he floated along. They were quick, but didn't move with the easy grace of a shinobi. Their movements were crude and animalistic, like giant rats in a sewer. At first Kakashi was afraid they were going to run ahead and alert everyone at the mine, ruining his much needed element of surprise, but they seemed only interested in him.

As Kakashi rounded a bend in the river, he only had a split second to react as one of the creatures jumped from one of the lower ledges, launching its body at his raft. With a swift kick he was able to deflect the creature, sending it into the water where it squealed as it was swept downstream. Another came at him from the right, and then two from the left. The raft was barely big enough for Kakashi alone and didn't allow him a low of maneuverability. He had to fight them from a low crouch since standing up any higher would result in him losing his balance and joining his enemies in the water.

He kicked another one away before gathering his strength and leaping towards the low ledge. His hands grasped the edge and he quickly pulled himself up just as two more of the creatures began to advance. Even in the darkness, Kakashi could make out that they were human, although their scraggly hair and tattered cloths made them look more like rats than people.

"What have you brought for us?" one hissed. "What have you brought to pay the toll?"

The Copy nin said nothing, but his hand inched towards the short sword strapped to his back. Several more of the creatures advanced out of the shadows and he could sense more on the ledges on the other side of the river. There was no telling how many of them were watching him.

"Everybody who passes by here must pay in either food or gold," another screeched. "The men in the mine said we could stay here and charge a toll. If you have nothing to pay us with, you must pay with your life."

Kakashi drew his sword at their threat. The action caused the people around him to shrink back, hissing in anger. "If you want my life," he said darkly, regarding them with his spinning Sharingan through the wet fringe of bangs that had fallen into his eyes. "Then you'll have to take it from me."

With an animalistic scream, the first creature lunged.

XXXXX

Sakura sighed forlornly, shaking her head when she realized she had been staring at a patient's chart for the last five minutes without reading a single word. Anybody could see that she was horribly distracted, her mind focused on a certain silver haired man. She missed him terribly, though it had only been a day. Yesterday's routine of going to lunch with him had been broken, making the rest of her day seem incomplete. What was worse was that he didn't even say goodbye.

Being a kunoichi herself, she understood how missions worked. Sometimes they were urgent and you left without saying a word to anyone. She assumed that fact was even more true for the ANBU elite. Yet, she couldn't help feeling a little hurt that he had seemed so interested in her, seemed to genuinely like her, but then abruptly vanished without a word.

It was almost her lunchtime but she no longer looked forward to it, knowing Kakashi wouldn't be waiting for her like he usually was. She sighed again and closed the chart before tucking it under her arm and heading towards the front desk to return it to the file and clock out. Hitomi greeted her with a warm smile, taking the manila folder from the medic's outstretched hand.

"You're awfully popular lately," she said knowingly, her smile turning mischievous. "What's your secret?"

Sakura was not in the mood to playfully guess what the brunette receptionist was talking about. The kunoichi fixed tired emerald eyes on her and asked, "What do you mean?"

Hitomi's smile deepened. "There's a man waiting for you in front of the hospital. He told me to tell you to meet him there on your break."

The pink haired woman didn't wait to hear another word. She made a beeline for the doorway, heart soaring at the prospect that Kakashi had already returned and he had come to take her to lunch like always. She burst into the bright sunlight, her eyes struggling temporarily to adjust. There indeed was a figure waiting for her, but even when he was just a blur, she could tell it wasn't the man she was longing to see. His posture was much too good.

"Hello, Sakura," a voice spoke, smooth and rich and refined, not at all like Kakashi's.

"Hello, Neji," she replied, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. Her eyes began to adjust and his long brown hair and pristine Hyuuga robes came into view. He was different from Kakashi in practically every way, so serious and predictable and by the book. Sakura didn't realize how much she had loved Kakashi's spontaneity until now.

"I wanted to apologize for upsetting you yesterday," he said, gliding towards her and offering his hand. "And I was hoping you would let me make it up to you by taking you out for a meal."

Sakura noticed with irritation that he didn't apologize for saying the words against Kakashi, but merely for the fact that they had upset her. Although she was grateful for a little company, and knew Neji was a kind man and a good shinobi, she wasn't keen on the idea of him trying to fill the spot that Kakashi had only just vacated.

"Well..." Sakura hesitated, not really in the mood to spend time with the Hyuuga.

"If you are busy now, I could pick you up for dinner if that's be alright," Neji said smoothly.

"I'm sorry, I can't tonight. I have plans with Ino," she replied hastily. The truth was she had nothing going on with Ino at all but now she intended to call her up and make sure she would be otherwise engaged. Lunch was bad enough, but something about a dinner date was more serious, more romantic, and she definitely didn't want to give Neji the wrong idea. If she had to pick one, she would go with lunch.

"Now is fine," she said with a forced smile. brushing past him before he could extend a hand or link their elbows again. Her position in front made her unable to see Neji's triumphant smirk.

XXXXX

From his position on the high ledge, Kakashi could look down and see the entrance to the mine shaft. It would have been pitch black if not for the giant torches that were burning. He assumed there was an outlet to the surface somewhere since despite nearly a dozen blazing sticks, the cave was not filled with smoke. Six or seven men were out front, some acting as guards and some perhaps on a break. They all looked relaxed, their guards foolishly lowered.

They would be his first targets.

He followed the ledge, hugging the cliff wall and jumping the gap to the next rocky outcropping. He was silent as a shadow, a mere whisper in the darkness as he approached the shore.

After he had fought off the strange, haggard creatures from before, throwing them into the water or running them through with his sword, he had been forced to proceed by using the ledges high above the water. His raft had long since floated away, but he was thankful to see that it had not washed up near the mine's entrance and alerted his enemies to his presence. As far as he could tell, no more of the creatures inhabited the cave, all of them meeting their ends at Kakashi's hand.

He approached the last ledge, having nowhere else to go but down. He dropped down to the water, sending just enough chakra to his feet to allow him to tread on the surface. He ran quick and quiet, the only testament to his presents were the ripples that bloomed like flowers wherever he stepped.

The torches only illuminated the a small area, making it easy for him to move among the shadows. His feet made contact with the hard rock as he advanced. He was death on silent wings and the first man never saw the strike to his head coming, nor did the second. It was only when the fourth was felled that one of them took notice, but his cry of alarm was smothered before he could even make a sound.

Within a minute, every man who had been outside the mines was dead, and not a sound had been made. Kakashi could only hope the rest of the mission would go as smoothly, although he couldn't help but feel like the real trouble was waiting for him within the bowels of the mine where escape would not be so easy.

XXXXX

The door creaked in protest as she kicked it shut and stumbled towards her bedroom, not even bothering to turn on a light. The moon was nearly full and pale light streamed through the window, painting her surroundings an unearthly silver blue.

She sat down heavily on the bed, noting that the world still seemed to move too fast around her, dulling her senses and making her head feel fuzzy. It seemed she didn't possess the alcohol tolerance her blond friend did, which was surprising considering Sakura was no lightweight.. Going out with Ino all night had successfully allowed her to avoid Neji, but even after consuming massive amounts of alcohol, the lonely ache in her chest still persisted, and though she had had fun, there wasn't a moment that night when she had been able to truly forget about Kakashi.

She flopped down heavily, letting fluffy pillows catch her head in their soft embrace. The ceiling spun above her briefly, protesting the sudden movement and Sakura closed her eyes until the dizziness passed.

Sakura let her head roll to the side and saw the small black eye patch she had worn the day she met Kakashi. She didn't need it anymore since her patient with the migraines had received successful surgery and had been discharged weeks ago, but she had kept the accessory anyway, mostly because she knew Kakashi had liked it.

She reached out and fumbled for the small object on her nightstand and held it tightly in her fist as her mind once again began to loop troublesome questions through her mind. Why didn't he say goodbye? Was there truth in Neji's words? Just what did Kakashi think of her anyway?

Sakura was well aware of the Copy nin's womanizing reputation, but when they were together, she hadn't seen him so much as look at another woman with interest. He always seemed so focused on her, genuinely intrigued by her. She supposed their relationship was never really made official and she would have no right to be angry with him if he stopped wanting to see her. Perhaps after all the time they spent getting to know each other, he decided he wasn't interested after all, although she found that had to believe. She would try not to dwell anymore on the topic until she saw him again in person and heard Kakashi's reasons straight from his mouth.

The kunoichi closed her eyes and sighed wearily. Maybe she was being silly and overreacting to the whole thing. If she indeed did end up dating an ANBU, she would have to get used to him leaving on missions with little to no notice. However, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, although she couldn't explain how or why.

Lunch with Neji had been pleasant enough, and thankfully Kakashi's name had not come up once. They had idly chatted, skirting topics regarding relationships, and Sakura hoped that the Hyuuga's odd streak of overprotectiveness had passed. He was kind and well mannered, pulling out her seat for her and opening doors. There was something regal about him, but somehow Sakura still preferred the disheveled charm of the famed Copy ninja, even if he liked reading dirty books in public.

Her thoughts circled back around to the man she was missing and she groaned, rolling over to bury her face in her pillow. Whatever mission he had been sent on, she sincerely hoped it was a short one.

XXXXX

Kakashi eased his sword out of the shoulder of yet another felled enemy. His unease about the mission had lifted considerably as he was able to kill one enemy ninja after another without making a sound. He had made a shadow clone and placed him at the entrance, making it impossible for anyone to flee the mine shaft without running into his double, and the silver haired man doubted there was a shinobi in the place that was a match for even just his clone.

While numerous lanterns hung in every area of the cave, it was impossible for them to illuminate the dark depths completely. Kakashi had plenty of shadows to hide in and he made sure to use them to his advantage. His only apprehension was that he hadn't realized how truly massive the mines were. He had entered nearly six hours ago and he still hadn't been through every mine shaft. Alarms had been sounded as dead bodies were found, but the size of the mine proved to work in his favor as he was constantly on the move, staying in the darkness until he was able to catch the bandits unaware.

His targets were untrained and stupid, relying more on their large numbers to keep possession of the mine rather than their skill. They fell to Kakashi's sword and jutsu easily, most of them not knowing what hit them until it was too late.

He cleaned out one dark corridor after another, noticing that the actual mining of tin seemed to have been put on hold. The bandits weren't interested in taking the metal for themselves. They merely wanted a base of operations that would be hard to infiltrate. While it had been a challenge, silently killing off the entire group was far from impossible, and Kakashi hoped that within the next few hours, he would be finished and on his way back to Konoha and Sakura. His biggest concern now was finding the two female hostages. Hopefully he wasn't too late to save them.

He pressed close against the rocky wall, becoming practically invisible in the shadows as he crept towards a man who had foolishly stayed behind to guard this part of the mine by himself. Single targets were always the easiest.

The man brandished a sword, but he was so overcome with fear that his hands were shaking. Kakashi doubted he'd be able to even attempt a strike before Kakashi's own sword found its mark.

When his back was turned, the ANBU lunged, knocking the man to the ground. His victim let out a cry of terror at the sight of the white and red painted animal mask hovering over him ghoulishly, his sword falling uselessly from his fingers. Before he could so much as scream, he was permanently silenced by Kakashi's blade.

Another one down, but so many remained and the place was so big that it would be hard to tell when he had truly emptied out the mine. He turned to recede back into the shadows when he sensed movement behind him. He dove to the side, feeling cold steel slice his arm. The wound was small and a thin trickle of blood seeped from the cut, but if he hadn't moved, it would have been fatal. He turned to find a young man holding the sword his last victim had dropped, and Kakashi cursed his abundance of confidence. He had been so sure that the area was secure that he had let his guard down.

The man's strong chakra signature betrayed him as a shinobi, but one swift kick and a katon jutsu dropped the man like a stone. Kakashi made sure he was dead before moving on but suddenly had to brace himself near the nearest rock wall when he felt lightheaded and dizzy. His wound began to burn and he realized that the sword that cut him must have been poisoned. It seemed the fish the bandits had been catching were being harvested for poison after all.

His strength rapidly dwindling, Kakashi staggered a few steps and dropped to his knees. His body was going numb and his vision dark. He wondered if his body would ever see light again or if the bandits would do away with his remains within the mine. He managed to mumble a few words before darkness overtook him completely, apologizing to the one he had hoped to see at least one more time.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

XXXXX


	3. Chapter 3

Star of Silver, Heart of Tin- Chapter Three

Upon awaking, Kakashi was aware of an extremely bright light shining uncomfortably into his face. He had heard stories from comrades who had had near death experiences and they sometimes described bright lights. He supposed he really was dead after all, and heaven, or wherever he was headed, was determined to blind him. Although...he found it strange that heaven smelled strangely of antiseptic.

A beautiful face filled his vision, a woman calling his name with the voice of an angel and pink hair. He hadn't expected angels to have pink hair.

His heavenly vision was shattered when she frowned and demanded he snap out of it. His surroundings snapped into focus and he discovered that he wasn't dead, but in a hospital room, and since Sakura was watching over him, he could only assume he was in Konoha.

His mind frantically tried to piece together how he had gotten here, but all he could remember was how he'd pitifully let down his guard and allowed himself to be cut with a poisoned blade. He thought for sure he would die deep within the mine, but somehow, fate had allowed him a chance to see a certain lovely kunoichi again.

"Sakura," he smiled, trying to sit up but finding his limbs still feeling numb and unresponsive.

"Lay down," she demanded, pushing him back down on the bed with a hand on his chest. "I won't allow my patient to overexert himself just when he's finally regained consciousness."

Her voice was stern but she couldn't hide her smile and Kakashi replied with one of his own.

"How did I get here?" he whispered with parched lips. "I thought for sure I was going to die."

Sensing his thirst, Sakura stood to poor him a glass of water from a clear plastic pitcher by his bed.

"Kiba found you," she replied. "Or more accurately, Akamaru smelled you out. You were apparently in one of the far tunnels. They found the hostages as well and were bale to get them out safely. If it weren't for that dog's nose, you probably would have died. They brought you back to me just in time. If I had been any slower in making an antidote, you would have been a goner."

The medic wrapped an arm around his shoulders and propped him up enough to allow him to drink. The second the glass touched his lips, he realizing he wasn't wearing his black mask. His entire face was exposed.

"I guess I should be thankful you're the one tending to me and not another nurse at this hospital," Kakashi chuckled between sips. "If another woman saw me without my mask off, she would undoubtedly fall for me and the two of you would have to fight over me."

Sakura rolled her eyes and silenced him by tilting the cup so he had to drink more water. It was true that upon removing his ANBU mask and then the black fabric underneath, she had been struck by how handsome he was. It was a shame he kept it covered all the time, but the fact that she was one of the privileged few that truly knew what he looked like made the sight even sweeter. She just hope he wouldn't constantly keep it hidden from her from now on.

He finished his water and Sakura perched at the edge of his bed, eyeing him critically. Now that he was back home and not in immediate danger of dying, it was time to get some answers.

"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving for a mission?" she asked quietly. "I know ANBU sometimes have to leave quickly, but it was so sudden. You didn't even leave a note to cancel your lunch date with me."

Guilt flooded his heart as he heard the hurt in her voice. He hated that he hadn't been able to talk to her in person, but her questions meant that a man he had trusted had let him down.

"I tried to find you at the hospital that day to tell you, but you had already left. I gave Neji a note explaining what I could and told him to give it to you. You never got it?"

Sakura's green eyes narrowed suspiciously and Kakashi wasn't sure whether she was wary of his actions or the Hyuuga's. "Neji? That's odd, because he seemed to try every excuse in the world to see me while you were gone, but he never said anything about you leaving me a note."

"Strange," Kakashi said. "He doesn't seem like the kind to forget about something like that."

Sakura took his hand in hers, loving the way her small hand was enveloped by his large one. She supposed none of what had happened mattered now that Kakashi was home and had obviously missed her as much as she had him, but she couldn't help but be disturbed by this development. If Kakashi had given Neji a note, and the Hyuuga had purposefully withheld it, then he was being more than a little overprotective. He was trying to manipulate Sakura into cutting off her relationship with him.

"No," the kunoichi said in response to Kakashi's remark as she turned over this troubling news in her mind. "He doesn't."

XXXXX

Since lingering effects of the poison still remained, Sakura insisted the Copy nin stay at the hospital for the next few days. The man who was usually so adverse to even stepping foot inside a hospital seemed perfectly content to lay in bed, reading his Icha Icha novels when alone and chatting up the pink haired medic when she was attending to him.

He knew how to make her laugh, a trait Sakura appreciated , especially after a tiring shift at the hospital. He would also compliment her or make a playful remark with just enough innuendo that her cheeks would flush and she would finger the spangle at her neck self consciously until she could come up with a witty remark to put him back in his place.

Although she hated the fact that he had been hurt, she couldn't help but love all the time she got to spend with him, not just on her lunch, but during her shifts. He would only be under her care for a few days and she was going to make the most of it, and she couldn't help but notice that Kakashi seemed to enjoy her company as well, although he did request for his mask to be returned to him and insisted on wearing it at all times.

She brought him food from the employee cafeteria since it was much better than what was served to the patients, and today she had put together a tray of cold soba noodles, vegetable tempura, a small salad and a little cup of lemon jello.

The second she opened the door, Kakashi seemed to perk up, although she wasn't sure whether it was due to her presence of the fact that she was bringing him food.

"How do you feel?" Sakura asked as she carefully set the tray across his lap. "Any persisting numbness?"

"My fingers still feel a little tingly but they're much better. I can hold my book easier now," he replied, picking up his chopsticks and immediately picked up a firm yellow cube of jello. Sakura smiled. He always ate dessert first.

She pulled up a chair beside him and began to eat her own food, although she started with the noodles and intended to save dessert for last. She noticed how he handled the chopsticks better, proof that he was more dexterous than the day before. If all went well, he would be free to go in the next day or two.

"How about the wound? Any burning or itching?" she asked, pointing to the bandage on his arm with her chopsticks.

Kakashi shook his head. "The cut is fine. Although, I was wondering when I get a sponge bath. You said I was sitting her for two days before I regained consciousness and after that, I've been here another two. Don't you think it's about time you gave me a good cleaning?"

He managed to keep his tone serious but there was a mischievous glint in his open eye. Without his hitai-ate to cover the eye containing the Sharingan, he simply kept it closed.

Sakura struggled not to smile as she answered in an equally serious tone, "I can have one of the male orderlies come in and clean you up after lunch if you would like." She finally had to giggle when his face fell, his displeased expression evident even with his mask on.

"No thanks. I'll just wait until I get home," Kakashi sighed.

Sakura smiled around a piece of sweet potato tempura. His answer was just the one she had been expecting.

XXXXX

Neji wearily walked home towards the Hyuuga compound, his mood nearly as dark as the night sky overhead. All of his careful planning had failed. Kakashi was back in the village and he had yet to make any progress towards winning Sakura over. In fact, she seemed even more enraptured with Kakashi than before he had left on his mission.

He simply didn't understand what Sakura saw in him. Neji was from a good family. Even the Hyuuga branch family was honorable and respected, but Kakashi's family name had been tarnished by his father and would probably die along with the White Fang's son. Neji was devoted, and a gentleman, which is more than he could say for the Copy nin with his dirty books and the endless rotation of girls he so casually courted.

Sakura deserved better. She deserved him, and it frustrated the Byakugan user endlessly that she couldn't see that.

The sun had long ago set and the streets were deserted, the cool night lit only by the lanterns and street lights of Konoha. Neji rounded a corner to find a lone figure walking his direction, a petite woman in a medic uniform. The Hyuuga instantly recognized her as the object of his current thoughts. Her shift must have ended hours ago. It was strange she was walking home so late.

"Sakura," he said with a courteous dip of his head.

She greeted him with a smile, although it wasn't quite as sunny as usual. Perhaps she was tired after working all day.

"You're getting home quite late. Shall I walk you home?"

The kunoichi inwardly sighed. She didn't really feel like dealing with the Hyuuga at the moment. She was tired and just wanted to get home and didn't want to tip toe around certain topics with him. However, it would be rude to decline and seemed like more trouble than it was worth. Widening her fake smile, Sakura accepted.

"May I ask what kept you at the hospital so late?" Neji asked as he fell into step beside her. "Is Tsunade working you too hard?"

"No, it's not Tsunade. I just stayed late talking with a patient," she replied, thankful that her apartment wasn't far and she wouldn't have to keep up this conversation much longer.

Neji didn't have to guess what patient she meant. He knew perfectly well that Sakura had insisted she be the medic assigned to Kakashi when he returned from his mission. She had turned down his lunch invitations in favor of staying at the hospital and eating with him. His voice went cold and flat as he responded, "Ah, you mean Kakashi."

This was exactly what Sakura had been dreading. She couldn't bring up the silver haired man without upsetting the Hyuuga. She knew Neji liked her and he thought that he was better for her. Perhaps in some ways he was, but the didn't chance the fact that Sakura wasn't attracted to him in the slightest. He was too formal, too uptight. Kakashi was so wonderfully spontaneous and funny, but Neji didn't seem to understand.

"Yes, Kakashi," she replied irritably. "Although frankly, it's none of your business. I'm tired of you putting him down all the time. Who I date is not your concern and I'm I wish you would quit acting like a disapproving father whenever I bring him up."

Neji could hear the anger in his voice and it sparked his own. A father? He didn't want to be a father to her. He wanted to be her husband for kami's sake! But she clearly needed some guidance in her life if she thought running around with a loose man like Kakashi was what was best for her.

Sakura had broken stride, walking ahead and intending to finish her trip home on her own, but Neji caught up to her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to him.

"Sakura, he's all wrong for you. He's just going to hurt you in the end. He's done it to a hundred other girls. Can't you see that? You can do better."

The medic whirled on him, jerking her wrist from his grasp. "I can do better? You mean someone like you? I know that's what you're driving at!" Even in the dim light her emerald eyes were luminous, flashing with anger. "This is all because you're jealous of Kakashi, isn't it? You would rather I date you instead. Sorry, Neji. You're not my type."

Sakura's words surprised him. Her blatant refusal stung but what angered him more was how trivial she made his intentions seem. This wasn't about making her his girlfriend on a whim. This wasn't about simply winning her over in a display of masculinity. He wanted to be with her forever.

"I don't want to simply date you, Sakura," he said sharply, his words gushing forth before he could stop them. "I want to marry you."

Her jaw dropped at the words. At first, she wasn't sure she had heard him correctly. Surely the great Neji Hyuuga who seemed to good to date anyone wasn't talking about marriage was he? However, his next words confirmed it.

"The elders have already approved of you. They think you would be a great asset to the Hyuuga family. It's a great honor and you should-"

"And did you ever stop to consider maybe asking me how I felt about all of this?" Sakura cut in, her voice rising along with her anger and shattering the night time quiet. "Marry me? Neji, do you even love me?"

Now it was his turn to be struck silent. Love? He honestly hadn't even factored that into his equation. Hyuuga marriages were usually arranged. They were about strengthening the family clan, not whirlwind romances. It was true that love often followed the binding, but to him, marriage was about-

"Duty. This is how you're viewing this, isn't it? You have a duty to choose a good wife, so you chose me, without thinking to tell me or to even ask me!"

"Sakura, I promise this would be a very wise decision on your part if-"

"Shut up!" she screeched, uncaring that anyone within a couple of blocks could probably hear her. "I am not getting married because it's wise. I'll marry the man I love and I can say with certainty that it isn't you. If I hear you say another word about anyone I choose to date, I will personally knock you through the closest wall. Do you understand?"

Neji said nothing, still in shock of how his plans were crumbling before him. The woman who was supposed to be his wife now wanted nothing to do with him, was throwing his offer of prosperity and security back in his face in favor of a womanizing lout.

Tired of waiting for an answer, Sakura turned on her heel to leave but Neji once again reached out for her, fingers catching the star spangle at her neck and breaking the delicate chain. The necklace fell to the ground unnoticed as he gripped her arm hard enough to bruise. Sakura whipped around, breaking out of his grasp and delivering a chakra infused punch. It would have hit him directly in the face and crushed teeth and bone if Neji hadn't been quick and blocked with crossed forearms in front of his face. As it was, he could feel the pain of the impact reverberate through his bones, possibly fracturing the ulna in the arm that had taking the majority of the blow.

"Stay away from me," she hissed angrily before stalking away, rounding the corner and disappearing from sight. This time, Neji didn't go after her.

XXXXX

Kakashi watched Sakura's hands move over his chest, smoothing over bare skin in a way that felt surprisingly good. He reclined back against the pillows, savoring her touch and watching her expression. Her eyes were closed as she probed his body with her chakra so she couldn't see him smile beneath the mask. A small wrinkle always formed on her forehead when she was concentrating and he found it to be adorable.

"Well, it looks like you back to normal," she said, dispelling her chakra and opening her eyes. "There's no trace of the poison in your system."

"Good, that means I can finally go home and sleep in my own bed...although I'm afraid it will be much lonelier without you."

Sakura felt her cheeks warm as a blush threatened to stain her cheeks but she turned away before he could see it. She got up and went to the nearby sink to wash her hands that were already clean, her back towards him as she replied, "Didn't you say you had a dog? I'm sure you could snuggle with him at night."

Suddenly, he was behind her, although she hadn't heard the slightest sound of him getting out of bed, the hazards of being around a ninja. His arms gently encircled her waist as he pressed his bare chest to her back, and Sakura couldn't stop her cheeks from burning crimson or the way her heart began to beat rapidly against her ribcage.

"I hardly think my dog Pakkun would be up for some snuggling," he whispered, his masked lips brushing her ear. "What I was suggesting was that if you ever take some time outside these hospital walls, I hope you'll consider spending them with me every now and then."

His voice was low and raspy, but gentle, playful, and was making Sakura's stomach flip flop as if the floor had just dropped out from under her. She was acutely aware of the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and his skin felt so good, warm and firm against her back. This felt so right, so perfect being in his arms.

She didn't resist when he gently turned her around, two digits lifting her chin up to him as the other hand entwined with her own fingers, still damp from their washing. He leaned in close, their lips barely touching, and Sakura was wondering if this would finally be the first kiss from him that she had been dreaming of since his teasing at the restaurant all those weeks ago.

She let a hand come up to brush silvery bangs out of his eyes, tempted to tug him in close and finally taste his lips.

He whispered, lips almost touching hers with every soft word "I guess what I'm trying to say is I..."

Sakura waited for him to continue, but instead, he gently took the hand that had been touching his hair and found himself staring at the five small bruises on her wrist. In her anger, she had forgotten to heal them the night before and hadn't even thought about them this morning.

"Sakura," Kakashi said quietly, "Who did this to you?"

His hand moved over her wrist, his fingers and thumb matching up perfectly with the purplish splotches on her pale skin. She could say that she had done it while sparring. Such things happened all the time during practice matches, but she didn't want to lie to him and supposed she might as well tell him about Neji now rather than try and hide it.

"I kind of got into a fight with Neji Hyuuga last night," she began quietly. "He didn't like the fact that I was seeing you. He said you weren't good for me and I told him to mind his own business."

"And then he grabbed you?" Kakashi asked. Although his voice was quiet and calm, Sakura could sense the anger simmering just below the surface.

"W-well," Sakura stuttered, unsure of how to say what was coming next. "First he asked me to marry him."

She had been expecting explosive anger, surprise, even laughter, but Kakashi's expression didn't change. Instead, he continued to speak in that same, quiet voice.

"Did he now?"

"Y-yes. But I told him no, of course. He doesn't even love me. He just wanted a wife that the elders would approve of. He said he had already talked to them about me. Can you believe that? He just views marriage as an obligation, not a romance, and so I told him to leave me alone and then I punched him in the face. Too bad he blocked. But everything is fine now so you don't have to worry about it."

She was rambling and she knew it, but she was just trying to smooth everything over and make Kakashi drop the subject. She had never seen him angry, but she knew that as an ANBU, he was capable of terrible things and she really didn't want him going after Neji when he was in this kind of mood.

"Maybe I should go have a word with him about going around and leaving bruises on women," Kakashi said almost matter-of-factly.

"No, that won't be necessary," Sakura said with a forced smile. "I straightened him out last night."

"I'm sure you did, but now I want a turn. Just a little man to man talk."

He pulled her close in a hug, his masked lips pressing to her forehead briefly before he grabbed his simple black shirt, made a few hand seals and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Oh no," she moaned, head in her hands. Not only was Neji in for some trouble, but she hadn't yet signed the forms for his discharge from the hospital.

XXXXX

A rigourous sparring match with Lee and Ten Ten had allowed Neji to vent some of his frustration, but had done little to get his mind off Sakura. Lee had commented that the fire of his youth was burning especially bright today as he put more force behind his attacks than normal. He was angry at himself for not seeing how fundamentally different he was from Sakura. He was calm and duty driven, usually level-headed until his future wife had got herself tangled up with the wrong kind of man. Sakura was strong and skilled, and excellent kunoichi, but it seemed she still let her emotions rule her decisions and had yet to get them under control.

It wasn't that he thought there was no place for love. He believed that it could be attained, but it was a luxury shinobi often could not afford. His kind had duties, obligations that came before turbulent emotions. If Sakura did hope to find love, he doubted it would be with Kakashi. A man like that wasn't interested in love, at least not the emotional kind.

It was just as the Copy nin crossed his mind that Neji sensed a powerful and familiar chakra. His head snapped to the right and he found Kakashi himself casually leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest nonchalantly. His one-eyed gaze however, was intensely focused directly on him. For a moment Neji though the ANBU member was simply going to watch him walk by, but then he pushed away from the wall and fell into step beside him.

It was broad daylight on a street with many witnesses and Neji knew Kakashi wouldn't do anything brash in such a place, but he could still feel an angry aura simmering around his tall, lanky figure.

"I hear you had a little encounter with Sakura last night," the silver haired man said, his voice low, but holding an edge that was clearly threatening. However, Neji was not one to be easily intimidated.

"I spoke with her, but I don't feel I should have to explain myself to the likes of you," the Hyuuga answered shortly.

"I didn't come here for an explanation. I came to tell you to stay away from her and if I catch her again with bruises caused by you, you're going to be sorry."

"She's hardly a delicate flower and I doubt she needs your protection," Neji snorted. "Not that your protection is worth much because soon enough you'll be off with another woman. I know how you operate, Hatake."

Kakashi abruptly stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "You know nothing," he hissed. "And my relationship with her has nothing to do with you. I'm asking you to stop pursuing a woman that clearly has no interest in you."

Neji bristled at his words, lavender eyes narrowing angrily. "Whatever issue Sakura has with me will stay between her and myself. You don't need to intervene."

The Hyuuga tried to push past the man in his way but a strong hand on his shoulder stopped him, squeezing him just hard enough to be uncomfortable, but not enough to be painful. His single dark eye burned in Neji's as he spoke.

"I will intervene, because you are harassing the woman I love."

Out of all the things Kakashi could have said, he had not been expecting that.

"I don't care if you or this whole village disapproves, but I love her and I will do what I have to in order to protect her. So understand that when I tell you to leave her alone, I mean it."

Neji tried to play off his surprise with a scoff. "I'm sure your kind of love comes cheap. How many other girls have you said that to?"

Kakashi's chakra flared dangerously as his grip on the Hyuuga's shoulder tightened. Neji prepared to strike at the offending hand when an ANBU in full uniform suddenly dropped from the rooftops to the ground in front of them.

"Neji Hyuuga, you are wanted at the Hokage tower immediately for a mission briefing," the anonymous man said from behind the red and white bear mask.

The brown haired man nodded in response. "I'll be there in a moment," he replied as Kakashi grudgingly dropped his hand.

The messenger left as quickly as he had come, leaving the two staring at each other wearily.

"You had better not hurt her Kakashi. You had better treat her with the respect she deserves." Neji warned.

"That goes for you as well. Bruise her again outside of a sparring match and you'll be answering to me."

Even as Neji made the hand seals for a teleportation jutsu and disappeared in a puff of white smoke, he did not let his gaze waver from Kakashi's.

When his opponent was finally gone, the Copy nin allowed himself to look around, seeing that their little dispute thankfully had not drawn any attention. He was prepared to walk back to he hospital to give him the time to clear his head and calm down when he saw something on the ground glinting in the sunlight. He bent down to retrieve the sparkling artifact and found a small star-shaped spangle on a thin silver chair that had been snapped. He slipped the broken necklace into his pocket, knowing exactly who to return it to.

XXXXX

"Good morning, Hokage-sama."

Neji accompanied his greeting with a formal bow but Tsunade didn't seem to be in the mood. She waved at him to come in distractedly without looking up from the document she was reading. The Hyuuga waited patiently for her to finish, but when she finally looked up, her normally attractive face was pinched in a scowl.

"Neji," she barked. "I trust your eye is healed?"

"Yes, thank you for asking," he replied graciously. "Your protégé did an excellent job healing me."

"Yes, well I have a paper here from my protégé saying that your eye was repaired nearly two weeks before I called you in for the mission in the mines."

Neji's smile instantly disappeared and his face blanched, realizing he was in very serious trouble. Tsunade folded her hands neatly on the desk and stared at him hard with honey colored eyes.

"I'm not going to ask about your reasons for lying to me or recommending Kakashi for the mission. What I am going to require is that you take this next mission without any resistance whatsoever."

Neji tried to swallow down the growing lump in his throat.

"You will be going to Grass Country to assist several villages in rebuilding after a flood. All structures were destroyed so you will virtually be recreating these villages from the ground up. This process will take months, possibly as long as half a year."

Neji stifled a groan.

"You will also be in charge of three genin who will assist with this task. Any trouble they cause will be you're responsibility so you are to keep them in line."

The Hyuuga could no longer keep silent. He felt this punishment far outweighed his crime. "Hokage-sama, be reasonable. Rebuilding villages is C ranked at the highest, and it hardly seems fair that I act as babysitter for as long as six months."

A blond eyebrow arched at his words as she settled back in her chair and crossed her arms over her ample bosom. "Neji, you not only lied to my face, but manipulated me into sending another shinobi for the job who wasn't as well suited for the mission as you were. As a result, this man got hurt and nearly died. I could go to the Hyuuga family with this but I think you'll agree with me that this form of punishment is far less severe, don't you think?"

Neji hung his head, defeated. If word reached the main house about what he'd done, he'd be shamed for far longer than the six months this mission required. His hands were essentially tied. He would have to go.

"Very well, Hokage-sama," he said, straitening as he tried to claim the last of his dignity.

"Good," Tsunade said with a smile. "Go pack your bags. You'll be leaving immediately."

XXXXX

Sakura brushed her shower damp hair away from her face as she stared into her piteously empty fridge, hoping something delicious would magically appear. Alas, the only staring back at her was an orange and a half empty bottle of soy sauce. She was dressed in an oversized T-shirt and some shorts that had grown a little too short for public decency, so they had become pajamas. She was freshly showered and warm and really didn't want to venture outside to go shopping, but with her cupboards so bare, she would either have to go buy food or eat instant ramen again. Neither sounded very appealing at the moment.

She let the refrigerator door swing shut and peeked in the freezer, finding a carton of chocolate ice cream that was only two thirds gone. Grabbing a spoon, she sat down on the couch with the entire carton, not caring that she was eating even worse than Naruto.

She figured she earned a little treat after figuring out how to keep Kakashi and Neji from killing each other. She had simply asked if Tsunade had read over the files on Neji's eye and requested that perhaps he needed some time away from the village since he had been coming on a little strong. Sakura didn't want to break his heart by politely telling him she was not interested now and never would be. Tsunade had chuckled that Sakura may very well have more admirers than just Neji, and soon she would have to be breaking many hearts with her refusals. The pink haired kunoichi had just laughed, deciding to bring up the topic of Kakashi at a later date. Tsunade would undoubtedly want all the juicy details and after satisfying her curiosity, give her the dreaded lecture that Sakura had already heard from her mother on more than one occasion.

When the Hokage realized Neji had been perfectly well for the mission, but had lied to get out of it, her mood had turned stormy and Sakura had made her exit, returning to the hospital to finish up her shift. She hadn't seen Kakashi since then but figured he hadn't killed Neji before he was summoned, so at least she could rest easy.

She was just about to take the first bite of luscious chocolatey goodness when there was a knock at her door. Grumbling at the interruption, Sakura set down her ice cream and went to the door, throwing it open and preparing to send whoever was standing there on their way.

There stood Kakashi with a bag of takeout and a bottle of wine.

"Yo," he said, lifting a hand in greeting. "Sorry to come by unannounced but I wasn't sure if you had eaten yet and it seemed a shame to miss having a meal with you since it I couldn't come by on your lunch hour."

The food smelled heavenly and conversation with Kakashi beat being alone any day.

"You are amazing!" she exclaimed, motioning him inside. "I think I might have starved without you."

Kakashi entered and went to the kitchen, as Sakura took two plates out of the cupboard.

"Before we eat, there's something I wanted to do earlier today but didn't get a chance to," the Copy nin said, taking the plates from her and putting them on the counter so he could have her full attention.

"Sakura," he began, clasping both her hands in his. "I know my reputation precedes me as never staying with one woman long, but I want you to know that I care about you deeply, possibly deeper than I've ever cared for another."

Sakura gasped as he dropped to one knee and pressed a masked kiss to the back of her hand like a medieval knight.

"I'm yours for as long as you'll have me, and whatever it is between us, I hope we can make it official."

"Like boyfriend and girlfriend?" Sakura asked with wide green eyes.

"Yes."

"Of course!" she exclaimed, tugging him to his feet and into a hug. Kakashi held her for a moment, loving the feel of her smaller form against him before pulling away and reaching into his pocket.

"Well, since you said yes, I get to give you this."

He took out a small black box and opened it up allowing her to see the small silver star inside.

"It's my necklace!" she cried in delight. "I thought I had lost it!"

"Yes, but I added something to it. I hope you don't mind," Kakashi said as he lifted it out of the box for her to see. On the back side of the star was a small heart made out of pinkish metal.

"The metal was in my pack when I got back from my last mission," he explained. "I don't know how it got there and I'm not sure if its tin or something else, but the color reminded me of you. I made a bit of it into the heart and fused it to your necklace. Do you like it?"

"I love it," Sakura said smile lighting up the whole room just as it had done the first time he met her.

"And I love you," he whispered.

Sakura's eyes grew wide at his words. "Y-you do?"

"I know it's crazy, but you're all I think about. You're the only one I want to be with."

Her green eyes grew shiny and wet with unshed tears, but he knew they were not tears of sadness, but of joy.

"Here, let me put the necklace on you," he said gently, urging her to turn around."

"Oh forget the necklace! Give me the kiss you've been teasing me with for weeks!" she exclaimed, tugging down his mask and grabbing a fistful of his shirt to pull him down until their faces were even.

Kakashi chuckled at her eagerness but allowed her to press her lips to his, finally sampling the softness he had wanted to taste for so long, but hadn't because he didn't want her to be like all the others. He'd wanted the kiss to mean something, and here in this moment, he couldn't think of a better way to finally share such an intimate moment.

Sakura practically melted as his arms wrapped around her while he pressed her up against the counter, his lips working against hers at a deliciously languid pace. The necklace dangled forgotten from his fingers, her ice cream was melting and their food was getting cold but Sakura didn't care.

In this moment, she realized that the small tin heart and sparkling star weren't just joined as a necklace, but as people. Her steadfast soldier had nearly met his death, but she had brought him back, and she would do it again as many time as she needed to. In this moment, Sakura realized that she truly loved him too.

XXXXX

Aww, the cheesiness! I need some crackers to go with all that cheese! But the fairy tale was supposed to have a happy ending so I delivered. Sorry about the lack of smut, but it was against the rules.


End file.
